Glimpse
by Kitoky
Summary: Drabble collections for prompts written Susan/Caspian based. Short pieces that don't really make it to being their own stand alone fic. All rights go to CS Lewis.
1. Wedding White

Here's the first of the few collection of drabbles I had written for the LJ community for Susan/Caspian fans.

Disclaimer - Don't own anything. For susancaspian community drabble challenge #3: white.

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**.wearing white.**

She was never all that fond of the color white.

It was dull, really and never brought her out of any foul mood like the way a red rose or her bright green sweater did.

No. White was white. Just white.

It was the color of her uniform, so easily stained and volatile. It was the color of her socks, dull and only made to do its job. White was the color of her face when she realized she hadn't been outside in the sun enough because of weather and wars. There was no richness in the color white, and it held no meaning to her.

In the Golden Age, she never had to wear any white at all. Her favorite gowns were of gold velvets and rich, ruby reds. Lucy often commented on how turquoise brought out her eyes, and it was not unlikely that Susan often chose a turquoise gown on the days that royal visitors came to Cair Paravel for that very reason. If she ever had any white robes (and she swears she never did) then she rarely ever wore, or even glanced at them to notice.

In the Golden Age, she consciously (and subconsciously) rejected anything white.

But she stands before the concession in the courtyard of the Telmarine castle this day. A sea of bright and happy faces all faced her, and a nice breeze flowed through her curls. Before her, Caspian stands with the happiest smile she had never seen on his face, robed in his best dress. Peter and Edmund stood behind Caspian with expressions that could have been compared to rabbits sucking on a lemons.

Caspian watched her every move, and a full body of white reflected in his charmingly dark eyes. But beyond that, his eyes held love and complete adoration. The boyish grin he wore melted her heart more than if the sun glared down on her for days. She faintly heard Aslan rumble final words, and the crowd erupted in an enormous cheer as multi-colored pieces of confetti were thrown (none of which were colored white).

King Caspian X of Narnia leaned down and kissed his newly wedded wife (and officially _his Queen_) donned in an extravagant wedding dress, and Susan could swear that she was always quite fond of the color white.


	2. Blank White

Second drabble written for the same prompt #3: white for susancaspian on LJ.

Disclaimer: All rights to CS Lewis and Walden Media.

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**.library.**

The texture of the books sent a jolt of pleasure through her fingertips, and the ridges brushed against the edge of her nails. Thirteen hundred years of Narnian history lay organized before her, any documented year available to quench her thirst to know. She wanted to know everything. Everything that went on while she had been living someone else's life, someone who wasn't quite the Queen she was.

She had missed a year. She had missed thirteen hundred years, and she wanted every year, every month, day, hour, second-- she wanted it all back.

Standing on her toes and bending to the lowest shelf, Susan lingered from book to book, not knowing where to start. Her fingers hovered over the spine of a pearly white volume. She noticed how oddly out of place it looked being among ones of dark covers. Biting her lip, she--

"Browsing the works, I see." The voice startled her, and she immediately retreated from the mighty shelf. Doctor Cornelius sounded again, voice gentle. "No, no. It's quite all right, your highness. Very rarely do they receive such attention these days."

Susan warmly received his friendly smile, and gave him a polite bow for all who were scholarly were to be respected. Cornelius flushed, humbled that such a Queen should bow before him. "There's so much here," she said. "It's a bit overwhelming."

"I seem to remember that legends spoke of Queen Susan having a vast library of her own," his tone was light and admiring as he made his way swiftly to her side. "I imagine this is a mere bookstand in comparison."

Susan smiled shyly, confirming the tale. "I was quite fond of the library, but it was so long ago…" She lied, finding herself in an awkward moment. She remembered her dear library, and she missed it most strikingly when she wanted a good novel but she had read all of her 'new'ones. Wanting to seem as if occupied, she picked out a book and starting skimming through it.

"Ah-- that one. That's a special one." Cornelius spoke, evidence of reminiscence in his eyes. "That was the first book Caspian ever picked up from here. He was a rather young boy then, not quite seven. Walked straight into my study and plucked it right off the shelf when I wasn't in here. It was only a few days later that he came into the door, looking quite serious and put the book on my desk and said, 'There are no princes in that one.'"

The lady of the room laughed with mirth as she listened to the story, and turned through the book noticing its heavy emphasis on Telmarine military tactics and administration of colonies throughout the land. Susan shook her head. Definitely no princes in this one.

Cornelius shared her laughter and continued, "He had gotten into reading all sorts of books, and eventually, before he even turned eleven, he had read them all."

"No boy would willingly read all these, professor." She deftly placed the volume back. "I'm sure a friendly nudge from you was quite common. And it looks like you've done an excellent job teaching him. He's grown to be a fine, young man and a fine young King he will be." She said it with a certain, distant fondness of the Telmarine she had only met a few weeks prior.

Cornelius didn't miss it of course, and he could confess that he first thought it fruitless. She was the High Queen of Old, he was a diamond in the rough. It would have never worked. But the war was won, and the queen had proved to Cornelius, perhaps all in this one moment, that she was very much as gentle as the title befitted her. Now, he would confess that he saw a splendid match in her for his royal charge.

"Professor?" The inquiring voice brought his attention to her. "If I may… what is this book? The pages are blank." Cornelius glanced down at the object in her hands, and saw that it the only one masked in a pearl white color. He gave her a genuinely helpless look.

"I'm afraid I don't know, your Majesty." He said, and took the book from her. "It had appeared on my desk only a few days after Caspian's escape from the castle. I was just as puzzled as you are. The pages were, as it is now, without words."

She glanced curiously down at the binding, and saw that there were repetitive patterns of a lion's head, mane fanned in high volume. She heard the professor speak again, the tone of his voice reminding her of a certain professor back home in England.

"Perhaps," he gestured to the book intermittently between brushing the white waterfall that was his beard. "Perhaps, dare I say, He contributed to this library?"

Susan eyed him, confused. "He? You mean Aslan?"

Cornelius nodded, "When young Caspian blew your Majesty's horn, it has created a much different history than it would've if he had not done so. It may be that He means for you to begin your own history again, my Queen. Perhaps a history that should include a rich marriage?" At this, Susan blushed, embarrassed that all had known of her and Caspian's shameless flirtations but would not deny that the hopeful idea did not send anxious butterflies through her stomach.

He smiled knowingly at her, his twinkling eyes teasing her as a father would. He handed the book towards her, and bid her a good day. "This study is free for your use, your highness. I should hope it will be satisfactory to your needs."

"I should think it already has been, my dear professor. Thank you." Susan gave a polite nod as the scholar bowed and left, shutting the door behind him. She looked back down at the closed cover of the book, and brushed a gentle hand over it.

She had missed all those years, months, days, hours, seconds-- and now, she was determined to not miss any more.


	3. Five Songs

This one was just using songs as themes for small, tiny drabbles.

Disclaimer: All rights go to CS Lewis and Walden Media.

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**One Step Closer**

**  
**_John Mayer – Waiting on the World to Change_ (Caspian)

Caspian knew he was frightened to his wit's end when he raced through the woods. He could barely hear the calls and the raucous of the Telmarine soldiers that pursued him over the hard beating of his heart. It was _exhilarating_, Caspian thought. Now, as he sat on the rather small chair of Trufflehunter's cot and he realized that he'd been waiting all this time for some change.

The dark, dull, foreboding shroud he felt when living beneath his uncle's reign was gone. And he was free to change things. He was now free to change the world.

_Disney (Lion King 2) – Love Will Find a Way_ (Susan, Susan/Caspian)

She threw glances between Aslan and Caspian as everyone gathered around the tree. Aslan had set down her fate earlier that day. She would not return. But if she had just some time with Caspian, to be able to share their love (as she would hope that it was love, in fact), she wouldn't need Narnia as she had once thought.

But Caspian was part of Narnia, and when Aslan told them they would leave. He would be left along with this world. And if in fact that it is love, Susan thought, then it would never die and she was afraid that eventually it would destroy her.

She steeled herself and gave Caspian one final glance, eyes shining in a last hope that love would find a way.

_Alanis Morissette – Head Over Feet_ (Susan, Susan/Caspian)

" 'You might need to call me again?' "

"Oh, shut up." Susan snapped back, not realizing how hot her face felt against the air as they galloped out of the How. She couldn't help it and she couldn't help beating herself up about it. She wasn't supposed to get so sucked up back into Narnia. In spite of that, the second Caspian gave her one -- two -- glances in the forest she had fallen head over feet.

She'd never admit it, but she'd never deny it either.

_Minnie Driver – Learn To Be Lonely (Phantom of the Opera 2004)_ (Susan)

Rain poured around her, the heavy droplets chanting against her large umbrella. Gripping its hard wooden handle, she stared down at the cold, informal rocks sticking out of the ground in routinely organized rows. Five tombstones. Five people she loved. Five people she wasn't quite ready to let go.

And yet, she had to, because there was no alternative. She had no one else, and she needed no one else. The deafening sound of the umbrella hitting the muddy grass swam through her ears, and she wasn't quite sure if it was only droplets of rain running down her face.

What else could she do but learn to be lonely?

_Five For Fighting – 100 Years_ (Caspian, Susan/Caspian)

He knows how beautiful she's always been. He remembers the shy smile in the forest. He remembers her playfully dancing eyes as he came to her rescue. He remembers the gorgeous dress the day of his coronation. He remembers her blush on their wedding day. He remembers the heat of the night following.

He remembers the glow she had when she gracefully walked around with a swollen belly. He remembers the happy tears when their son first cried out in protest of being taken from his comfortable home. He remembers the sweet melody of her voice when she said she wanted another.

He remembers brandishing his sword when the suitors came, this time not for Lucy. He remembers all the laughter and the love. His dear professor, Cornelius, would have had doubts. But in a hundred years, he will have remembered a lot.

Fin.


	4. Between Summer & Winter

Author's Note: Written in response to the weekly drabble challenge at susancaspianlivejournal. Prompt #21: frost.

Disclaimer: Own nothing. All CS Lewis & Walden Media.

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_**.between the summer and the winter.**_

------

Susan wasn't sure if she had ever seen frost in Narnia. There was plenty of it in England, when the grass died and the trees prepared for the inevitable cold of winter. On the trips to the grocer's during the brisk winter mornings, Susan would always be fascinated by the glitter upon the windows of shops. Once, Susan had showed Lucy to breathe against the glass, spreading invisible, tiny crystals. Lucy, only five or six then (Susan couldn't remember), always drew pictures against the makeshift canvas. Susan had always written words. Small words, and once wrote simply: frost.

Lucy had asked what it meant, to which Susan promptly explained, "It's all the white that you see on the grass when it hasn't snowed."

"How does it get there then?" asked innocent Lucy.

Susan smiled down at her and took her hand to go into the shop that their mother was in. She knew how it got there. It was all this stuff about the air being the right temperature and water vapors, but Lucy was only five or six then (well, Susan couldn't recall exactly) so it wouldn't have done her any good to try and explain it all to her.

So, Susan said, "Magic, I suppose."

They went through the door only vaguely aware of the chiming of the bell. "Do you believe in magic, Su?" Lucy asked, eyes full with wonder.

"Well, if magic's what got the frost on the ground all these mornings, then yes. Magic is all around us, you see." Replied Susan.

Lucy had gone the entire day with wide eyes and bright smiles. Their mother asked her what she had done to make her sister so giddy and joyous. All Susan said was that she told her about frost.

Thinking, Susan can't remember a time when there was frost when they had first entered Narnia. It was winter then, or rather, a very long, long winter for the Narnians. Snow and icicles filled every meadow and knoll around them as they ventured through the land to get to Aslan's camp. All snow and icicles but no frost, Susan recalled. And when they had gotten there, there was no snow and still no frost.

The war was fought and the White Witch defeated. And slowly the snow had melted away and all the icicles trickled their last drops of water. Still, Susan remembers, there was no frost.

They lived, as Kings and Queens live, at Cair Paravel upon the threshold between land and sea. And even then, Susan reminisces, there was no frost. She knew that frost was rare so close to the sea. The warmth of the Eastern Ocean glided over the castle and the air could never cool properly to make frost. (This was all the stuff she had thought about telling Lucy when she was either five of six, she didn't remember.)

Years of living at Cair Paravel, she soon missed seeing frost. Even as winter came, it was winter. Not before winter, or after winter when frost liked to appear. It seemed, Susan thought, Narnia was not so fond of winter after the presence of the White Witch. It would rather get winter here and done with so as to move on to spring and then summer.

Well into the Golden Age, Susan remembered feeling rather displaced. She knew of frost and was pleased with the miracles it imprinted, but she couldn't recollect when she had first seen it or how she came to know of it. She dreamed of distant memories guarded by ice and glass. It was not until they had tumbled out through the wardrobe again, that saw the frost against the house windows, on the open lawn, and upon all the edges of old Mrs. Macready's car.

She pulled her thick cloak across her shoulders and took a deep breath of the brisk air. Clutching and hugging the velvets to her body, she felt the crisp morning breeze.

"Susan?" She turned her head, and saw Caspian make his way towards where she stood at the door of the balcony. "It's not even dawn."

"I know," Susan said and looked across the horizon to wear the sun would peak out in a little while. "I was just admiring all the frost."

"The frost?" Caspian leaned his forearm above her head and gazed at the view the balcony had to offer. "It's not so exciting, is it?"

"It is," replied Susan and she fell silent, her eyes drifted from bush, to meadow, to distant knoll, even the edge of the balcony had bits of frost. Caspian watched her line of sight, but eventually he settled his own eyes on her alone. Her porcelain skin looked pale against the dark of night, but her cheeks had the blush from the cold. He gave a small smile at her image; windswept hair and cold cheeks, yet she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on.

Leaning closer to her, he pressed his nose against her ear. He felt just how cold it was, and he could hear the rhythm of her breathing and how she edged closer to his touch like a magnet. Caspian closed his eyes and tried to identify the scent of her but nothing came. No flowers nor perfumes.

"Professor Cornelius once told me," Caspian started, leaning back just enough for her to turn to him. "that the frost was a result of the naiads dancing across the lawns when they traveled from river to river." Caspian gazed into her eyes, beautiful bright orbs against the night. "It was much like---."

"Magic," Susan finished for him. He paused for only a moment, but smiled at just how at peace she was at the thought. Most Telmarines would be against such talk of dancing naiads, but Susan, neither Telmarine nor Narnian, seemed to love the idea.

Susan looked across the meadow again, but nestled closer into Caspian's open arms. "I wished I had seen them dance their dance." Susan said. She had missed the frost, Susan decided. She had missed the magic. Winter was winter for the White Witch and Aslan cared not for its beautiful prologue.

Here, Susan laid her head in the crook of Caspian's neck, frost thrives between the summer and the winter.

_Fin._


	5. Allies, Enemies, Traitors

**Author's Note**: This was written for the weekly drabble challenge #22: compassion for susancaspianlivejournal. Only Susan/Caspian if you squint really hard.

**Disclaimer**: All rights belong to CS Lewis & Walden Media.

* * *

**.allies, enemies, and traitors.**

**:...:....:...:...:...:...:**

"Don't move," she tugged at the soldier's collar. "Stop." She insisted but to no avail. The Telmarine continued to struggle to get away from her, grasping anywhere for a weapon but laid no hand on her. "Oh, this isn't getting anywhere."

The man tried to protest, "Y-y-…"

"I'm trying to take care of you," she hushed him. "If it were up to my brothers, you'd be hanging upside down from the one of the cliffs outside. Now stop it."

Whether he fully submitted to her she didn't know, but he stilled. It wasn't as if he could get far as it was. Susan was certain the man had one of his legs broken, and the other foot didn't fair too well by the looks of it. She knew that her sewing kit would come in handy, but she did not predict that this would be its use. Carefully tugging the needle through the gash above his collarbone, she concentrated on keeping him focused and his attention away from the impossible amount of blood he'd already lost.

It was an ambush.

The group of them that survived the raid on the castle had almost reached the How after a day's journey with little rest. They were close to their base so their guard was down. In any case, Susan thought logically, it was foolish on the Telmarines' part to attack so close to their main base, but she had seen what the temptations of glory and heroism did to many. How would their unit be hailed and worshiped upon their arrival back home with the heads of the leaders of the rebellious Narnians on silver platters?

The attack surprised them, but the quickness of the fauns and the centaurs were not to be underestimated in any circumstance. She remembers dodging flurries of arrows. Peter had led a counterattack to drive back the Telmarines as much as they could. She remembered preparing to set her bow but was pulled behind Caspian, obscuring her line of targets. It wasn't something she appreciated at all.

There was a sharp gasp. "Sorry," Susan mumbled.

Peter brought back the troops after the battle was done and announced that they should look for any survivors and bring them back to the How as prisoners to be questioned. He was being a strategist, she knew. After losing so many Narnians in the raid, he wanted to get some sort of leg up on Miraz. So, they found this soldier under the fallen body of his fellow Telmarine, helpless and gasping for air.

"He's injured pretty badly," Caspian noted. "It'll be miracle for him to survive the rest of the journey."

"He'll make it." Peter reassured. "He's going to have to." He gave Susan a pointed look and she knew what it meant. Peter helped her mount one of the Centaurs after much delegation. The half-conscious soldier settled in front of her and she braced herself well enough for the ride, as riding a Centaur was not a common practice even for a Queen such as herself.

They arrived quickly to the How, only giving Lucy a brief explanation before getting the Telmarine inside and under the magical hands of a healer. Many of the fauns helped her set a splint for his broken leg and foot although most were hesitant until Susan gave an exact order.

"Why are you doing this?" Gasped the Telmarine, seeming to be much calmer than before. Susan had a good look at him while he was mostly unconscious. He was young. She imagined he wasn't much older than Peter. He might even look as though he had a wife.

"Well, if we don't close the wound, it might get infected you see," Susan started explaining, tugging the needle once more. "Edmund hates seeing things infected. He'd never admit it, but he has a terrible time keeping a straight face when something is oozing at him. As a matter of fact, so does Peter."

The young man didn't seem fazed, but even more so confused. "Why are you helping me?" His nose flared from obvious discomfort. "Should y-you not put me to d-death? Decapitate me and send my head to Miraz?"

Susan paused in her suturing. "We hadn't thought of that. It sounds like a capital idea though." She smiled a bit at the slight widening of his eyes. "We're not that sort of people, don't worry. Too many people have died in this war and there's no use recklessly killing one more."

"Y-y-you want information then?" He stuttered, acting as though it was far worse a punishment than decapitation.

She sighed and began to tie off the suture. "I don't, but that's not to say what my brothers will do." She padded her stitching with a clean cloth. "You're hurt and I just happen to know how to tend to your injuries. That's that."

Her answer was simple and logical. But however simple or logical it may be, the soldier could not seem to comprehend it. Slowly, after a few minutes, he mumbled, "Thank you."

Susan gave a small smile. "Don't thank me yet."

.

.

"I saw what you did," Caspian said to her quietly as they were in a corner of the How together.

She was going through some of the piled up weapons to find a few extra arrows to add to her quiver. "And what did I do, Caspian?"

He fidgeted slightly, hand resting heavily on his sword at his side. "You treated the Telmarine soldier like he was your own, like he had fought for you."

"No one fights for me," she said slowly. "They only fight for their country and what they believe is right."

"But he's not fighting for what's right!" Caspian pressed. "What if he holds the key to this war? What if he sells out his own country? Does that make it right? To betray his side for his own selfish gains?"

"Is that so bad?" Susan turned to glance at him over her shoulder. "You want to win this war."

Caspian paused and sighed, "Not like this."

"War doesn't go as you plan it, Caspian." Susan said through thin lips. "You saw what happened to those Narnians because of your run-in with your uncle. War is dirty and unpredictable. We were once in a war with many traitors, and still it did not come out as you would think. But there was one thing I learned and I saw it first hand upon the Stone Table which holds this How upright. Compassion does not end in war. Not for the enemy and not for the traitors."

The young prince said nothing to this and refused to meet her eyes. She gave up on her search and walked over to him. He glanced up at her as she placed a hand on his arm.

With a comforting look, she spoke. "He may yet betray his country and this could be the turning point of the war." She paused, "… May Aslan forgive him for it."

_Fin._


	6. Insert: Visitation Invitation

**Author's Note**: Stand-a-lone piece. This was done by a request from blackcathollow at livejournal. Pure fluff and not much anything else. AU. Susan/Caspian.

**Disclaimer**: All rights belong to CS Lewis & Walden Media.

* * *

**.visitation invitation.**

**..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..  
**

"How could you have gotten the time wrong, Edmund?" Peter shouted behind him as they ran across the street to the train station. Edmund and Lucy trailed him, each lugging their own baggage.

"It's quite easy actually, see." Edmund started. "When I was checking the tickets, Emily Wilkenshire said something or other about a good right party which she invited me to. It was supposed to be at---."

"Four-thirty, we know." Peter and Lucy grumbled out. Edmund fell sheepishly silent.

"Actually, we might've been able to make it on time if you hadn't thought Mulberry Road was Millberry, Peter." Lucy piped and slowed abruptly behind Edmund to show the man at the booths her ticket.

Edmund grinned, "Lucy's got a point."

"I knew where I was going!" Peter protested and took up his bags again to go into the tunnel. "It was a shortcut!"

"Mum's going to be mad if she found out we took a shortcut and got here late!" Lucy said. They heard the distant sound of the train's engine and turned the corner to board. Peter skidded to an immediate halt when he rounded the corner and saw no train. He dropped his bags and looked back behind to see Lucy and Edmund looking equally surprised. When he glanced behind them, he didn't see the other end of the tunnel --- well, he saw the other end of _a_ tunnel just not _the_ tunnel.

"So… we never would have caught the train anyways. It's not my fault anymore, is it?" asked Edmund, dropping his bags and taking a look around. They were still in a tunnel, that was for sure. But this one was made of uneven stone, and there were torches along the wall instead of refined lighting.

Peter walked a few ways down the other side, but there were no more torches and all he saw was complete darkness. He turned around and looked at Lucy, "Well, Dorothy? The cowardly lion suggests we go that way." He pointed to the end where Edmund had already departed to.

Lucy laughed, but grabbed her bags again to follow after Edmund. Peter did the same, grabbing Edmund's as well.

"Edmund?" Lucy called as she hurried along the corridor. She couldn't quite see her Just brother anymore. Peter scrambled quickly to get in front of her just in case something might pop out. He didn't exactly like the idea of leaving her open to anything behind them either though.

They were startled when they heard a sudden, "Oh bloody----. What in the name of Aslan's mane?" They saw Edmund rushing back to them, dusting off his pants and kicking his feet.

"Edmund, what is it?" Peter asked, pulling Lucy behind him. She squirmed and pushed him aside so that she could see what was wrong with Ed.

"I-I don't know. But it was hairy and…. Wet." Edmund wiped his face with a disgusted look on his face. He looked back down the dark tunnel and jerked away to hide behind Peter when the beast came charging towards him. "Ah hell." He muttered when he got a clear look at the dastardly vermin.

"Oh, he's so cute!" Lucy exclaimed and bent down to pet the puppy on his head.

Peter made a face at Edmund, "The great Edmund the Just threatened into retreat by a single, four-pawed pup. I'm shocked, Ed."

"He was much more menacing in the dark," the Just king defended.

The 'beast' lolled his tongue and viciously wagged his tail as he propped his forelegs onto Edmund's knees. He patted it neatly on the head embarrassingly.

The dog seemed to be satisfied with this and moved in circles in front of them until leading them back down the tunnel. The three Pevensies looked at each other and shrugged. "Looks like we've found Toto," Peter allured and moved to follow the pup first.

They followed their four legged guide down the dark tunnel after Edmund grabbed a torch from off the wall, something he probably should've done in the first place to save him the humiliation.

"Where do you think this leads?" Lucy asked to which her brothers simply shrugged.

"Wherever it is," Peter started. "Let's hope there's no true beast at the end of it."

Edmund held the torch steady ahead of them, "Do you think we're in Narnia again? It's only been a month after we've gotten back to England though."

"Might be. But what time in Narnia? Last time we were thirteen hundred years in the future from when we defeated the White Witch. Is it another thirteen years from when we left… you know, Susan." Peter ended awkwardly.

"Thirteen hundred years since then? So… you might think that maybe… they're all dead? Even Su?" Edmund asked.

Lucy made a horrified face at his implication, and Edmund quickly corrected himself. "But we might be wrong of course," he said hurriedly. "I mean, what if we might've even gone back in time? Maybe we're back to before the White Witch took over and we have to sto--." At Lucy's even more terrified expression, he sighed. "I'll just… shut up and walk."

"Look, is that-- Do you see that? It's a light." Peter pointed ahead of them.

"There's something oddly unsettling about all of this," Edmund said looking at their guide. "You had better not be some sort of Reaper."

The dog in question merely tilted his head back and barked.

"Quib?" The new voice startled them, not only because it seemed to come from no where, but how high pitched and _young_ it sounded.

Their guide barked once again and rushed forward disappearing into the dark. The Pevensies bolted as well just to see what was going on. They were only vaguely aware that the light they had seen was a flickering of a torch and was getting bigger and bigger as they moved forward. The two torches met and the first thing they saw was their guide slobbering up the face of a little girl. Peter would guess that she looked about four, maybe five.

The girl in question looked up at them with wide eyes and Peter reverted his own to the figure carrying the lighted torch. The man looked oddly familiar.

"King Peter?" He asked.

Peter raised his eyebrows, "Caspian!"

Lucy moved forward and launched herself into Caspian's arms, "Caspian!"

The man before them was definitely their Caspian. Everything about him screamed of the young Telmarine they had met only a month ago. From his eyes, to his stature, down to the lion-crested hilt of the sword at his side.

"The beard's coming in well," Edmund noted. Caspian instinctively brushed his hand across his cheek where the stubble was coming in.

"Poignant as always, King Edmund." The Telmarine responded with a grin.

"Caspian?" A voice came behind Caspian and they hadn't noticed the third source of light joining their circle. The Pevensies brightened at the sight of their sister, Susan, who looked well, alive, and as beautiful as they had left her.

"Susan!" Lucy tore herself from Caspian and went to hug her sister, "You're not dead!"

"I should hope not," Susan nervously said, but delightfully returned the hug before greeting her brothers in the same fashion. "When did you all get here?" She noticed their luggage, but they didn't have their uniforms. "How long as it been for you all?"

Before the Pevensies could answer, the girl they first met piped up and they noticed that she had gotten up from petting 'Quib' and tugged at Susan's green dress. "Mommy, who are these people?"

Peter, Edmund, and Lucy proceeded to develop eyes the size of saucers and looked at Susan.

"Wh-- How did tha--?" Peter stumbled over his words.

"Mum still not have that talk with you?" Susan quipped. She bent down to pick up the four year old. "This is our daughter, Helen. Helen, these are your aunt and uncles."

"Like Uncle Trumpkin?" Helen asked, once more as wide-eyed and fascinated as she was before.

Edmund laughed out loud at the idea of _Uncle Trumpkin_.

Lucy beamed, "You named her after Mum?"

"Perhaps we should head back to the castle and have everyone settled?" Caspian suggested and Peter thought it was a good idea. He had some talking to do with Susan. He wasn't sure he approved of _Helen_ quite yet.

"Where are we anyways?" Edmund asked, swatting away Quib from his knee again.

"You're at the How," Helen chirped. "Aslan's How!"

"Seems a bit less lively than what I remember," said Peter.

"Well, we're not exactly leading a rebellion against the Telmarine army," Caspian gave a wry smile. "Come on. It's getting dark outside and we best be heading back."

"We were having a picnic outside and Helen wanted to explore the How," Susan said, shifting her daughter in her hold. "For the fourth time, may I add."

"It's cool!" The dark haired princess exclaimed. Her mother simply shook her head and gestured for Peter, Edmund, and Lucy to follow them out.

~*~

"It's been six years since we left?" repeated Edmund as Susan sat back down in her seat after getting them all tea. She had sent Helen and Quib off to get Trumpkin. Caspian leaned casually against his chair.

"Six, according to our time." Caspian said.

"It's only been a month since we were back in the train station." Lucy said, "And the boy was asking for you, too. The one with the glasses."

Susan laughed at the distant memory of him and even more so when she saw the inquiring look on Caspian's face.

"He wasn't the only one." Peter said solemnly. "You're dead, Su. In England. There was an accident outside the train station. You were crossing and there was a faulty car… But you died."

Edmund nodded at this, "We didn't find out until we arrived at school and got a letter. Mum asked for us to come home and so we did. Mum and Dad were really upset and they were upset with us because we didn't seem to care, but we did! It's just…"

"We knew you weren't dead, obviously, so we couldn't really… you know." Lucy trailed off.

Susan had fallen silent and her face was pensive, "So… are they all right? Mum and Dad?"

"Well, Dad has taken the blow but Mum's the one crumbling." Peter explained, "He decided to take her to America to try and get her to take her mind off of it. They didn't want us along so they sent us to Aunt Muriel's."

The Gentle Queen furrowed her eyebrows, "We have an Aunt Muriel?"

"That's exactly what I asked," added Edmund.

Peter gave him a look. "You don't remember her? She… well, she's older than Dad, which means she's well… old. She had all those cats? We only met her once and you were sneezing all over the place until we realized that you were allergic to cats, Su."

Susan remembered the massive stinging in her nose. "Oh! Aunt Muriel! With the horrible green cardigan?"

"That's the one," Peter nodded. "We were on our way there when we… appeared here."

"At the How," Caspian finished.

Lucy made a face at Edmund when she saw him stuffing his face with the pastries that their sister had laid out. He merely gave her a shrug in return, mouthing 'I'm hungry.'

"So what all has happened in the last six years after we left?" Lucy asked, propping her chin on her hands.

"After you left through the tree, Aslan left as well," answered Susan. "We haven't seen him since that day. Caspian and I married and I really had wished that you were all there."

"You could have waited six years." Edmund said, "We would've been there."

Caspian gave a small cough and Susan smiled sheepishly in his direction. "Caspian was rather impatient." Peter quirked his eyebrows at him, his disapproving frown still marring his face.

"Afterwards, Caspian and Cornelius worked on evening out all the wrinkles in the kingdom. Some of the Telmarines that stayed started causing some protest. Apparently they felt a lot more brave after Aslan disappeared," continued Susan. "We tried talking to them but it didn't work much, until Caspian had Reep spy on one of the members and found their hideaway and gave them a good roughing up. That seemed to work beautifully."

"When all else fails…" said Caspian. "A year later, Susan changed quite a bit. She started demanding so many things. Chocolates, pastries, and something called… baggers?"

"Bangers," corrected Susan.

"Bangers. Sausages, Caspian." Edmund said shoving another pastry in his mouth.

"… That's what they were?" Caspian asked incredulously.

"It's not at all difficult," said Susan. "And I only had those cravings for a month ---"

"--three--"

"-- when I was pregnant with Helen."

"We named her Helen both for your mother, as Susan told me, and in honor of the first Queen of Narnia." Caspian said.

"That's great!" Lucy exclaimed.

"So," Peter said slowly. "Is there any trouble now? I mean… does there happen to be a war going on? Evil witch on the rise?"

Caspian and Susan looked at each other and mimicked, "No."

"Are you sure?" Peter pressed, "Why would Aslan bring us back then?"

"What does it matter, Peter?" Lucy said, "He gave us an opportunity to see Susan and Caspian again!" The youngest Pevensie launched herself at her sister in another embrace.

"I don't suppose you run out of hugs nowadays," a new voice sounded through the room. Everyone turned to the door and saw Trumpkin standing there with an expecting expression on his face. Helen and Quib entered as well, heading straight towards her mother and father. "About time you lot got here."

"Trumpkin!" Lucy proceeded to maul the dwarf in a giant hug. "It's so good to see you! I didn't think I would ever get to see you again!"

"It's been a long six years," Trumpkin returned the gesture. "You haven't changed a bit."

"Well, it's only been a short while for us." Lucy shrugged. "A month or so."

Trumpkin paused and just shook his head, "I won't ask how that works."

"We don't," Edmund interjected from his spot at the table. "You're looking swell, Trump."

"Thanks," the red dwarf bowed his head at the youngest king. "And what's this I hear about a monstrous beast named Quib?"

Edmund frowned.

Trumpkin turned to Caspian and Susan, "Your Majesties. The caravan from Archenland have arrived carrying your requested packages."

"Excellent!" Susan clapped her hands together and they both stood. "Oh, you all must try these cakes. I've been waiting for them for weeks!"

"A day ago, she didn't really want them anymore, but we couldn't exactly tell the King of Archenland that. It was a gesture of good faith from him, I'm sure." Caspian said.

Peter looked at them suspiciously, his frown permanently sticking to his face. "You're saying she's pregnant again? As in… right now?"

Susan nodded happily at her brother, oblivious to the crippling glare that he was giving her husband. "We've only found out a few weeks ago, most unpleasantly, I may add." Caspian stayed silent, suddenly feeling that his life was in danger. He picked Helen up just in case he needed a safeguard.

Edmund swallowed, "We might have a war after all."

.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.  
_Fin._


End file.
